A passion for service

Golda Carbonaro

MaÎtre de Lounge

If they’re lucky, passengers disembarking in Frankfurt end up in the supremely capable hands of Golda Carbonaro, for instance at the Welcome Lounge in Terminal 1. The blonde, 44-year-old has worked for Lufthansa for over 20 years, and has been the Maître de Lounge since July 2017. She is an anchor in the lounges for First, Business and Senator Class passengers, making sure that everything gleams, wobbly tables are repaired, the magazine rack is well-stocked and that there are fresh towels in the bathrooms.

The most important thing is that everyone feels well looked after.

There have been passengers who missed their flights because it was so comfortable here. The native Italian describes herself as gregarious, and when entertaining at home her motto is “the more, the merrier.” – “But in the Lounge I like to have time to devote myself to my guests.” Even on days when her alarm clock has rung at 3:15 am, she always has time for a smile. “It’s the friendly gestures that count – particularly if you’re on a stressful trip!”

Middle-distance runner

At the Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt, 16 people work in service, catering and cleaning on each shift. Golda Carbonaro can clock up as much as eight kilometers a day walking on her rounds.

Christian Weyers

Flight attendant

Christian Weyers doesn’t have much time. He’s just returned from a shift that took him to Delhi, Seoul and Bogota, and is now striding swiftly through Lufthansa’s base. In a few days he is due to start training to become a purser, putting him in charge of the cabin. Weyers, 30, tall and slim, is ambitious. He joined Lufthansa in 2007 and studied air traffic management while working. As a child, he was an avid collector of Lufthansa cutlery and magazines, and at family parties would happily push a tea trolley and serve his aunts and uncles. Weyers has a fine instinct for what passengers want, and during boarding can always tell which passenger enjoys a chat, who’s feeling nervous and who just wants some peace and quiet.

Guests now shake your hand when they disembark – that’s new

During vacation seasons, he likes to whip out a Polaroid camera and take souvenir snaps for the passengers, who love this attentive gesture. Ever since the Business Class Signature Service was launched, he notes, more and more passengers shake the hands of cabin staff when they disembark: “That’s new.”

Marc Röther

Personal assistant HON Circle Members

Marc Röther knows what comprises good service: it’s something the 28-year-old learned from scratch at check-in, in lost property, and in the First Class Lounge. Since 2014, he has been the personal assistant for HON Circle Members, an elite group that includes CEOs, business consultants, Nobel Laureates and DJs. These customers have high standards; they expect individual assistance along the entire journey chain and a direct line to the company. Röther loves his job.

It’s satisfying to be able to help.

He’s always willing to go the extra mile for his guests; for example the time he helped a frequent flier by arranging for roses to be sent to Hong Kong as a Valentine’s Day gift for the man’s wife. Or organized a shirt signed by soccer player Thomas Müller for a FC Bayern Munich fan who had had an exhausting flight. The unusual challenges and the variety are what make his job so rewarding. There may occasionally be requests that even he cannot fulfill, but individual service is something that never goes out of style.

Problem solver

At the Lufthansa Aviation Center Frankfurt personal assistants look after HON Circle Members from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India, and there are also assistants in Japan, Shanghai and the United States.